


Time Enough

by Moon_Blitz



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Goblins, Harry Potter is Lord Potter, House Elves, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Potter Manor (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28139712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/pseuds/Moon_Blitz
Summary: In a desperate bid to save the Wizarding World from Voldemort, Harry, Ron and Hermione travel back to the beginning of their first year at Hogwarts, intending to use their school years to train and plan. But a series of unexpected revelations will make things both easier and more difficult than they every could have imagined.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	Time Enough

Harry awoke with a gasp, heart pounding. Had it worked? Had he and the others made it back safely? He was in darkness, but if he was back in his cupboard, that wasn’t a surprise. He could feel the frame of whatever he was laying on digging into his back through the thin mattress, further pointing towards the fact that he was in his cupboard.

Rolling over, he reached for the lightbulb pull string, quickly finding it and turning on the light. His glasses were next, and Harry winced at the sight of the tape holding the frames together. A glance down showed that he was wearing a pair of faded oversized pyjamas, and he grinned. Good, he was definitely back in his child body. He had no watch, so he couldn’t tell what time it was, but if the spell had worked properly, it should be early in the morning on July 24 th , 1991.

Hopefully Ron and Hermione had made it back as well, and had started planning for the future. They had decided to set the date of their arrival to the day each of them got their Hogwarts letter, which mean that Hermione had been back for nearly a year and Ron for almost four months. It was risky, having Harry arrive so close to the start of the school year, but he hadn’t wanted to spend any more time with the Dursleys as possible. With luck, he should be out of the house today.

Fishing his socks out from under the small bed, he brushed a spiderweb off of one and put them on, turned off the light, then eased the door of his cupboard open. He had been worried it would be locked, but it wasn’t, so he slipped out into the hall and closed the door behind him. From upstairs, he could hear the faint rumbles of Vernon’s snoring, and smiled. Good, his uncle wasn’t awake yet.

Walking quietly into the kitchen, Harry wrinkled his nose at the awful smell coming from the sink, then remembered that Petunia was dyeing some of Dudley’s old clothes for Harry to wear at the public school he had been slated to go to before his Hogwarts letter arrived. Well, he wouldn’t need those anymore, but messing with them would be suspicious, so he left them. He then checked the time and saw that it was just past 4 am. A bit later than he had anticipated, but Hermione had said that their arrival time would be between midnight and dawn. Dawn would be in about an hour, so he had to be sure to be back in his cupboard before then. Not that Petunia would be up before 7, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

First, to address his most pressing need: food. His stomach felt empty, and he wondered if he had gotten dinner the night before. Carefully opening the fridge door, he grabbed a carton of yogourt that he recalled Petunia liking around this time and quickly ate it, making sure to bury both it and the plastic spoon in the garbage so it wouldn’t be found later. It wasn’t much, but hopefully he would get breakfast this time around.

Next, he unlocked the door leading to the back garden and stepped outside, breathing in the cool summer morning air with a smile. Making sure the door wouldn’t lock behind him, Harry stepped from the paving stones on the grass, not minding that his socks would get damp from the dew. A weak hoot came from the tree next to the shed, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. If Errol was here, that meant Ron had made it back.

Jogging over to the tree, he held out his arm and winced as the ancient owl dropped on it it, several feathers flying off at the impact. “Hey there,” Harry said softly, stroking the bird’s head a few times before taking the letter that was clamped between Errol’s beak. In the dim predawn light he could just make out his name on the front, and decided to read it back in his cupboard. He and Ron had arranged that Errol returning without the letter would indicate that Harry had received it, so there was no need to write back.

“Thanks, Errol. I don’t have anything to send to Ron, so rest up for a bit before you head back, okay?” Harry said, getting a slow blink and hoot before Errol awkwardly flapped back to his perch in the tree.

Harry eagerly went back inside the house, making sure to peel off his damp socks before crossing the kitchen, and once safely back in his cupboard, tore open the letter from Ron. Folded up in the parchment was a piece of regular paper and some Muggle pound notes, which Harry set aside for the moment.

_Hey mate,_

_If you’re reading this, then you got back safe, yeah? That makes all three of us then, since Hermione’s here too._ _We’ve been in contact since I arrived in March, but we haven’t seen each other yet. She’s been doing a ton of research into the Wizarding World, and some of the stuff she’s discovered is b_ _loody_ _mental. She says a lot of it can wait until we’re at Hogwarts, but the most important stuff can be explained by the goblins. I know, I know, you probably want me to tell you, b_ _ut_ _they can explain it better than I ever could, since it involves your family and stuff. There should be a goblin in charge of the Potter Estate (Hermione’s wording), so go see them when you go to Gringotts._

 _We both really want to see you before the train, but neither of us can figure out a good way for us to meet without it looking suspicious to our folks. Guess we’ll just have to wait until September 1_ _st_ _, then. But we can totally exchange owls_ _before then_ _! Drop me and ‘Mione a line once you get Hedwig,_ _and make sure to encrypt the letter you send me – Fred and George love to get into my mail, and I think they’re already suspicious about me, so best not give them proof I’ve changed._

_Can’t wait to hear from you,_

_Ron_

Harry was grinning so hard by the end of the letter his cheeks hurt. He was overjoyed that all of them had made it back without something going wrong, and he could just imagine that Hermione had bought double the books on the magical world now that she knew what to look for. Hopefully she hadn’t bothered Professor McGonagall with too many questions when she delivered Hermione’s letter.

He was intrigued by what Hermione had found, but trusted his friend when she said it could wait until Hogwarts. He was baffled by the mention of the Potter Estate, since to his knowledge, all he had was his Invisibility Cloak, his vault, and the cottage in Godric’s Hollow. He couldn’t imagine why a goblin would be in charge of the latter two things, since it had never been brought up before. Worrying about it wouldn’t help anything, so he would just have to do what Ron said and ask at Gringotts.

Putting Ron’s letter down, he picked up the other letter, confident that it was from Hermione.

_Hello Harry,_

_I’m so glad we all made it back safely! I was worried that my Arithmancy calculations weren’t correct, even though I quadruple-checked them! I know you must have a lot of questions after Ron’s letter, but I strongly urge you to speak to the goblins_ _about the matter_ _. I_ _t’s nothing bad, we promise!_

 _Also, please don’t be upset that I sent you money. Since you’ll be meeting the goblins, you need some nice clothes, right?_ _There’s also enough for the train fare to London if your aunt refuses to give you money._ _You can pay me back later if you really want to, otherwise, consider it an early birthday gift._

_Miss you lots,_

_Hermione_

Harry frowned at the letter, mildly conflicted about the money. On one hand, he hated charity, but on the other, until he managed to get to his vault, had had no way of buying better clothes. And Hermione was right, he should look nice if he was going to meet whoever was in charge of his family’s accounts. “Fine, I’ll make that your birthday gift to me,” he muttered at last, tucking the letter alongside Ron’s and putting both letters and the money back in the parchment envelope. He could tell that it was almost dawn by the thin strip of light starting to creep under the crack between the floor and the bottom of the cupboard door, and so decided to prepare for the rest of the day.

It took a bit of hunting, but Harry finally unearthed a plastic shopping bag that his younger self had stored away for some reason, and placed both letters and a pocketknife that had been a Christmas gift to Dudley (who had promptly thrown it away after realizing how small the blade was) in the bag. An apple sitting on the shelf joined the other two items, Harry figuring he could eat it on the train. Looking around, he couldn’t find anything else to take. He had no need for any of Dudley’s castoffs, and while he had a few toys and books, he had no desire to bring them with him.

Belongings effectively packed, he hid the bag under his bed, turned off the light and laid down, arms folded behind his head. Once he got to London, he would find a secondhand shop, pick out a couple decent outfits and change clothes, then go to Diagon Alley. Gringotts would be his first stop, both to meet with the Potter Estate goblin and get funds from his vault. Depending on how long that took, he’d go get Hedwig then find a place to spend the night, or just do the latter if the meeting somehow went long. He had no idea what kind of family business he’d had to deal with, so it could very well take a while.

Tomorrow, he’d look into getting supplies – get Hedwig if he couldn’t do it today, pick out his school supplies, get a second, backup wand in addition to his holly wand from Ollivander’s, and go browsing through some secondhand shops in search of interesting books or useful magical items. He’d also ask Hermione and Ron what else he should pick up in the way of supplies, and made a note to ask them about it when he sent off his first letters to them.

All in all, it was going to be a busy couple of days, regardless of whatever happened at Gringotts. Still, the prospect of being back in the vibrant, whimsical Wizarding World that had existed before the Second Wizarding War and Voldemort’s eventual victory was an exciting one. Yes, Harry knew enough now to pick out the flaws and divisions in the magical world, but he let himself bask in the nice memories of the magical world prior to the end of his fourth year.

\- - -

Petunia was up first, and Harry half-listened to her bustle around the kitchen, glad he wasn’t tasked with preparing breakfast this morning. He waited a few minutes to be sure she wasn’t going to call for him, then got dressed and ventured into the kitchen. Vernon and a sleepy Dudley followed shortly after, the latter carrying his new Smelting stick, which he waved in Harry’s face before sitting down at the table.

Vernon had just opened his newspaper when Harry heard the click of the mail slot and the sound of letters landing on the doormat, and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. He had to bite his tongue to keep from grinning, knowing that any strange behaviour would make his relatives suspicious.

“Get the mail, Dudley,” Vernon said, already immersed in his paper.

“Make Harry get it.”

“Get the mail, Harry.”

Unlike last time, where Harry had objected, this time he meekly said, “Yes, Uncle Vernon,” and left the kitchen. On his way down the hall, he opened his cupboard door a crack. No waving his Hogwarts letter in front of his aunt and uncle’s faces this time; he was going to hide it and read it after breakfast.

Harry’s heart was pounding as he approached the small pile of mail on the doormat, easily picking out Hogwarts’ heavy parchment envelope on the bottom. Crouching, he picked everything up, taking a moment to savour the thrill that went through him as he ran his thumb over the purple Hogwarts seal keeping the envelope closed. Taking a deep breath to try and calm down, he stood up and flicked the letter into his cupboard as he headed back towards the kitchen, closing the door with a nudge of his hip.

“Here, Uncle Vernon,” he said as he handed over the rest of the mail, keeping his eyes fixed on the tablecloth. Sitting down, he gripped his trousers tightly, fighting to keep from trembling with excitement. He was so close to leaving this house behind for good. He wouldn’t miss Petunia or Vernon at all, but Dudley had changed a bit for the better as he grew older, and Harry worried that his absence would make his cousin stick to his bulling ways.

His uncle was saying something about Marge being ill, which Harry vaguely recalled from the first time he had gotten his letter, and then Dudley had noticed his letter and everything had turned upside down for the next few days. However, Dudley just banged his Smelting stick on the table while Vernon and Petunia talked about Marge, and Harry slowly began to relax.

By the time breakfast was served, he was calm again and was fending off being poked by Dudley. “Here you go, Dudders,” Petunia said sweetly, placing a plate overflowing with fried eggs, cubed hashbrowns, bacon and toast in front of him. Dudley quickly abandoned his game of jabbing Harry at the sight of breakfast, and Harry let out a soft sigh of relief. Vernon got an even larger plate of food, while Petunia sat down with a more normal-sized portion.

“Go have whatever’s left, boy,” she said dismissively, and Harry nodded and served himself the remaining fried egg and the last of the potatoes, both overcooked to the point of being nearly burnt. He tried not to grimace as he ate, knowing that Petunia wouldn’t take criticism of her cooking lightly and he wanted her to be in a good mood for later.

\- - -

Harry did the breakfast dishes while Vernon left for work, Dudley following him out the door not long after to go hang out with his gang. Once finished, he retreated to his cupboard while Petunia went out to gossip with the neighbours. His heart beat faster once he had his Hogwarts letter in his hands, and he nearly burst with anticipation. Carefully breaking the wax seal, he opened the envelope and lay the letter across his knees.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress_

Harry breathed in slowly as he re-read the short letter again, savouring each word. He would once again be going to Hogwarts. Sure, things had been rough at times and downright dangerous at others, but he would do better this time. They all would, they had promised each other that. Defeating Voldemort meant they had to know magic inside and out, and Hogwarts was an excellent place to learn the foundations of the magic they would be using to win the war.

It stung a little that he couldn’t learn everything he needed at his beloved Hogwarts, but he understood that there was knowledge about that magical world that Hogwarts couldn’t or wouldn’t provide. Not necessarily Dark magic, but obscure magic, magic that Voldemort and his Death Eaters wouldn’t be expecting a Muggle-raised Harry Potter to know, never mind use. Luck had played a part in many narrow escapes in the previous timeline, and while Harry figured a little luck couldn’t hurt this time around, he wanted to be better prepared for what was to come.

Smiling, he set the first page aside and read the second page.

UNIFORM 

_First-year students will require:_

_1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

COURSE BOOKS 

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

OTHER EQUIPMENT 

_1 wand_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS_

_ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus, Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions_

The list was exactly as he remembered, and he chuckled at the reminder about first years not being allowed to have a broom. Malfoy would be whinging about that all year, if memory served. Tucking the book and equipment list back in the envelope, he eased open the door of his cupboard. The kettle was on, which meant his aunt was back in the house.

Harry waited until it had boiled before venturing back in the kitchen, acceptance letter in hand. Petunia was sitting at the table, idly staring at the newspaper gossip page while she waited for he tea to steep.

“Um, Aunt Petunia?”

“What is it boy?” she snapped, glaring at him.

“This came for me,” he said simply, holding out the piece of parchment. Petunia went white at the sight of it, then clutched her throat.

“That—That—You read it?” she gasped, looking like she might faint.

“Yes.” Harry swallowed hard and said in a firm voice, “I’m going, and you can’t stop me.”

That brought his aunt to her senses, and she started to turn red. “Now see here, you wretched boy—”

“I’m going to Hogwarts!” he shouted over her, and she was so surprised at Harry talking back that she simply stared at him. “I’m going to Hogwarts,” he repeated in a calmer tone. “I’ll leave today, and with luck you’ll never have to see me again.”

It took a few moments for his words to sink in, then Petunia’s eyes narrowed. “And where will you go, boy?” she sneered. “Do you really think you can just up and abandon the ones who have fed and clothed you for nearly ten years over a weird letter?”

Harry tapped the letter and said, “Surely this school will take me in until term starts?”

Petunia let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. “Oh no, that place won’t take your kind until the first of September, like it says in the letter.”

“How do you know what it says?”

Realizing she had been caught in a trap of her own making, his aunt hesitated, then said coldly, “Because your mother and the nasty boy she was friends with got letters just like that one, and they had to wait until September 1 st  before they could go to that freakish school.”

Despite already knowing that his Mum had been a witch, Harry widened his eyes. “Wait, Mum got a Hogwarts letter too?”

“She did, and our parents were so proud! And look what it did in the end! It got her and her no good husband killed by an evil freak!” Harry winced at her harsh tone, feeling an echo of sorrow for his parents’ death as he dropped his gaze to the kitchen floor.

“You...You said they died in a car wreck...” he said at last, pretending to be more shocked by the news.

“A car wreck would have been a better end for them,” his aunt said stiffly, and he glanced up in time to see her blinking rapidly. He had always wondered how much Petunia had cared about Lily, and it seemed like she had some lingering attachment to her sister. “Anyway, since that dratted school won’t take you in, where will you go?”

“London. There were instructions with the letter on how to get to the school, and they said I have to go to King’s Cross in London.” There weren’t any instructions, but he was betting on Petunia not knowing that.

His aunt pursed her lips and thought. “Fine, if you want to leave so badly, then leave. However, once you step out that door, you better not come crawling back next summer, begging us to let you in.”

“I won’t,” Harry said firmly. He knew it was dangerous leaving the protection of the blood wards around the home, but he couldn’t stomach the idea of having to spend summers here.

Petunia huffed and turned back to the newspaper, signalling that the conversation was over. It only took a minute for Harry to put the letter back in its envelope, grab his bag, and leave the house. He had a feeling his aunt would be calling Vernon as soon as he was out of sight, but he no longer cared. He would never be returning to Number 4, Privet Drive if he could help it.

\- - -

The train ride to London went smoothly, Harry getting a cup of tea to go with his apple, and then he was surrounded by the hustle and bustle of London. He got off at Charing Cross Station, and walked a few blocks to a side street that housed a nondescript secondhand shop he remembered finding the summer before fifth year.

The shopkeeper gave him a curious glance as he walked in, but he gave her a friendly smile and went off to browse the kids’ clothes. Since it was the summer holidays, there were other children around, so he didn’t stand out too much. Harry wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about fashion thanks to his childhood and spending most of his school years in black robes, so he decided simple would be best for meeting the Potter Estate goblin. A plain button up shirt and dark brown slacks was what he eventually settled on, and he grabbed a few pairs of cheap t-shirts and jeans to fill out his wardrobe for the next few days as well as a grey flat cap. His trainers were falling apart, so he looked until he found a blue-and-white pair that fit, then brought everything to the cash.

He ended up with some money left over, which he decided to spend on an early lunch. After a good meal of fish and chips, he ducked into the toilet to change clothes, fiddled with the collar of his shirt, then departed for Diagon Alley. His old clothes were tossed in a rubbish bin, Harry feeling a sense of satisfaction as he threw them in. From here on out, he would wear what he wanted to wear, and nothing else.

His paused outside the Leaky Cauldron to put on his cap, then slipped into the pub behind a pair of middle-aged wizards who were talking loudly about a recent Quiddich match. Luckily, they were also heading for Diagon Alley, so Harry was able to trail after them and get through the entrance without a problem.

As the brick wall re-formed behind him, Harry paused to take in the street. It was full of all manner of magical folk, many with children or teenagers in tow. He grinned with excitement at being back in the magical world, his gaze flying from shop to shop as people entered and exited. Adjusting his cap to cover his hair and scar as much as possible, Harry plunged into the crowd, weaving his way towards Gringotts. It was time to see the goblins.


End file.
